Is this a good deal on this Tortoga Beach Club?

[icydog]

I was just offered week 20 in May,a first floor unit, Tortoga Beach Club for $5000 (they started with 6K). I have never been to the resort but we loved the Sanibel Cottages so figure it must be similar. Is this 5K worth the effort of owning yet another timeshare? Will I be able to sell it if I tire of it? We are retired so May doesn't throw us but maybe it is too hot then. I don't really know all that much having only been to Sanibel once last Feb. How many HGVC points would this be, 5K? The owner never traded the week so he had no idea how to trade much less how to work Hilton (HGVC).

I am off to yet another vacation in Hilton Head for a week at the Marriott Surfwatch. I will still monitor the tug forums and this thread in particular. I told the owner that I would tell him if we will buy this unit by March 4th.
BTW, if I were to purchase, whatever number of points this equals, from HGVC would that be a cheaper easier way to enter the HGVC system and Sanibel Island?

 

[Bxian]

At that time of year, you will get 5,000 HGVC points for a 2 BR on Sanibel.

 

[Steve]

Week 20 is a silver week...not gold

At that time of year, you will get 5,000 HGVC points for a 2 BR on Sanibel.

This is not correct. Weeks 19 through 23 at Tortuga Beach Club are silver weeks worth 3500 points. They are not gold weeks and are not worth 5000 points. This information can be found on page 75 of the HGVC 2007 Member Guide.

Tortuga is nice resort and $5000 is a fair price for a May week. But I'd much rather have a gold week than a silver week. Also, Tortuga has not had the extensive renovations that both Sanibel Cottages and Hurricane House have had. It's getting a bit dated...see post # 22 by "onlyholly" in this thread:

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30887&highlight=tortuga


Steve

 

[wrxdoug]

It is only 3,500 points but you would probably be better off trading as a week through rci separate account or interval and trade right back into sanibel as you would be given preference back into the weeks system to all sanibel resorts in rci or interval. Your home base would give you first preference into the weeks system for sanibel so that would give you the edge for sanibel that you might want. I have traded a 3,500 point casa ybel week for spring weeks and summer weeks in sanibel 1 to 2 years out pulling sanibel cottages several times, casa ybel, shell island and tortuga and once hurricane house. However, it would not be wise to use it as points in the hgvc system.

 

[icydog]

It is only 3,500 points but you would probably be better off trading as a week through rci separate account or interval and trade right back into sanibel as you would be given preference back into the weeks system to all sanibel resorts in rci or interval. Your home base would give you first preference into the weeks system for sanibel so that would give you the edge for sanibel that you might want. I have traded a 3,500 point casa ybel week for spring weeks and summer weeks in sanibel 1 to 2 years out pulling sanibel cottages several times, casa ybel, shell island and tortuga and once hurricane house. However, it would not be wise to use it as points in the hgvc system.

Can I count on RCI to do this type of thing? So if I buy this week for 5K I get an advantage over other RCI owners for Sanibel. And I guess it would have to be RCI since the other Sanibel Resorts all trade with RCI. I have an account with RCI already- do I need to set up another one to trade into Sanibel? My wish list begins with the Sanibel Cottages or the Hurrricane House in February or March. Is the 5K a good price or should I offer $3500? I thought it was a gold week when I said $5K

 

[wrxdoug]

Casa ybel, shell island and sanibel cottages and hurricane house are all dual affiliated with both rci and interval and I would think that tortuga is too. Look at the tug reviews if it is listed in both interval and rci then it is dual affliliated. I have done all my trading with rci and it seems there are more trades in rci but I have seen trading on interval as well just look at the sightings board. My understanding is most sanibel owners trade through rci and interval not hgvc on their own separate accounts. I believe there are more sanibel trades in rci than interval but that is only my suspicion I never did a comparison to confirm it. Doug

 

[wrxdoug]

You do not have to set up another rci account just add this one to it. It will also give you preference as a hgvc owner as well into other hgvc managed resorts in scotland etc. However you will have the highest priority trade power for sanibel with this resort so if their are any trades you will be first in line while searching.

 

[wrxdoug]

In the advice section on tug's home page they list what fixed weeks equal gold etc. Casa Ybel Platinum 7-13, 51-52, Gold 1-6, 14-18, 24-33, 43-48
Silver (3,500 points) 19-23, 34-42, 49-50, Hurricane House, Platinum is
7-13, 51-52, Gold is 1-6, 14-18, 24-33, 43-48, Silver is 19-23, 34-42, 49-50
Sanibel Cottages: Platinum is 7-13, 51-52 Gold is 1-6, 14-18, 24-33, 43-48, Silver is 19-23, 34-42, 49-50, Shell Island Beach Club: Plat: 7-13, 51-52
Gold, 1-6, 14-18, 24-33, 43-48, Silver, 19-23, 34-42, 49-50
Tortuga Beach Club: Platinum: 7-13, 51-52, Gold, 1-6, 14-18, 24-33, 43-48 whereas Silver, 19-23, 34-42, 49-50 Check the weather sites on the web for the normal temperatures during that time in may to see if it is too hot for you as I would want a fixed week I would enjoy using some years without trading at all so I do not pay fees.

 

[JLB]

How many times have you done this, used Tortuga to trade, and gotten a SW FL HGVC, Sanibel, Captiva, FMB or Marco--anywhere, for Weeks 1-16?

It is only 3,500 points but you would probably be better off trading as a week through rci separate account or interval and trade right back into sanibel as you would be given preference back into the weeks system to all sanibel resorts in rci or interval.

 

[JLB]

Perhaps. Anything is possible since we mere mortals are not given the facts.

My several thousand searches for SW Florida in January would tend to suggest otherwise. I have used others HGVC accounts and found SW Florida availability when there was none on RCI.

In any event, IMHO, to suggest that HGVC SW FL resorts for peak weeks may be available through any exchange system, is misleading, too simplistic.

My understanding is most sanibel owners trade through rci and interval not hgvc on their own separate accounts.

 

[Bxian]

Sorry for the incorrect post on the value of points for this week. I am in the process of buying at the Charter Club and looked at the tiny print on the chart I have a little too quickly. I don't have the 2007 HGVC book yet-can't wait to get my hands on it

For what it's worth, my week at Charter Club is a float week. I was able to book my first choice for 2008 (2nd week of January when our 2 college age kids will be on break) 12 months in advance. I know someone else who also owns a float week who has told me that he always gotten his first or 2nd choice of weeks. I have not tried to trade, so I am not sure what trade power into the Sanibel locations would be.

 

[icydog]

Sorry for the incorrect post on the value of points for this week. I am in the process of buying at the Charter Club and looked at the tiny print on the chart I have a little too quickly. I don't have the 2007 HGVC book yet-can't wait to get my hands on it

For what it's worth, my week at Charter Club is a float week. I was able to book my first choice for 2008 (2nd week of January when our 2 college age kids will be on break) 12 months in advance. I know someone else who also owns a float week who has told me that he always gotten his first or 2nd choice of weeks. I have not tried to trade, so I am not sure what trade power into the Sanibel locations would be.

You know that after reading this I am not sure that owning a Silver Sanibel unit will help me trade into another prime time Sanibel unit.

 

[Bxian]

Icydog-whether or not you can get a week depends on whether or not an owner deposits theirs. When we made an offfer on our floating unit in January, the current owner had already booked July 4th 07 and July 4th 08. We cannot travel to Florida during either of these weeks. We were allowed to get the 5,000 Gold level HGVC points for 2007 that this particular week gets and were told by HGVC that we could either use the points to book at another HGVC property this year (if there is space available), or "rescue" the points for use in 2008. Since we will not travel to the Charter Club in July 07, the July 07 week that the current owners had booked will become available for use by someone else at some point in the near future (we have paid for the week but have not gotten the deed yet). It is my understanding that it would be offfered first to a Charter Club member (who would trade their existing 2007 booking for the July 4th week) and then would be placed into HGVC inventory if a Charter Club member did not take it. For 2008, we "traded" within the Charter Club inventory, relinquishing our July 4th week in exchange for the January 2008 week that will work better for our family. Once again, thie July 2008 week would be made available to Charter Club members first and then to HGVC members if no Charter Club member wants it.

 

[myip]

You know that after reading this I am not sure that owning a Silver Sanibel unit will help me trade into another prime time Sanibel unit.

YOu can only trade in RCI. You don't have enough HGVC points for prime Sanibel week. If you don't plan to use it, I don't think it is a good idea to buy it since it doesn't have enough HGVC points.

 

[wrxdoug]

She would not be wise to try to use hgvc points for sanibel since I have owned two different hgvc sanibel resorts (not tortuga by the way by the way but it does not matter.... all hgvc sanibel resorts trade the same back into sanibel) and rci trades (or interval for that matter) would be stronger and there is more inventory. More owners if they trade they trade with rci or interval not hgvc. I have traded my shell island and casa ybel both for points and through rci and gotten trades back into sanibel only through rci during the weeks I needed which was spring or summer. I have seen may weeks with my sanibel resorts, late april, august, june and many many fall weeks. Honestly I was never interested in January or Feb. for sanibel too cold for me or a chance of being too cold for only a one week stay anyway plus we have to go during school breaks. During my only four years of looking I have never seen a sanibel easter week for example but if you were wide open for the spring for several months to look 1 1/2 years out you can find trades back in. Doug

 

[wrxdoug]

Also, I saw many more weeks available to Marco Island hgvc resorts during those searches then sanibel. Doug

 

[wrxdoug]

Marylyn, I do not know if any one else above has owned a fixed week silver 3,500 point unit in sanibel but I have. We owned a fixed week 40 at casa ybel for quite a few years and traded it through rci. I never ever had problems trading back into sanibel to a hgvc resort, sanibel cottages, shell island, hurricane house and I have gotten trades for august, may, late april and the fall. I never looked for January or Feb. as the chance it would be cold was not desirable to me. I can absolutely assure you if any hgvc sanibel resort is deposited in rci you have first preference over anyone else not sanibel no matter what the week. I can honestly say I have never seen with my prime week 14 shell island or casa ybel week an easter week or christmas week or presidents week deposited into rci. I would rent mine if it fell on easter week. If you can be flexible as to what summer, fall, spring week you can get back into sanibel but you will not get an easter or presidents week period but neither will any hgvc points people unless there is a person who decided to deposit a week like that due to some problem. All sanibel hgvc resorts weeks are red and prime for trades back into sanibel. They also pull any hgvc resorts deposited into rci platinum gold whatever as well. I pulled easter week for hgvc seaworld a 3 bedroom unit with that 3,500 point sanibel unit. I pulled hgvc 2 and 3 bedroom scotland summer weeks with that 3,500 point unit. So it depends what you mean by prime I am not sure. Doug

 

[sandcastles]

I am a little confused. You are talking about buying Tortuga, and then joining HGVC?

I own 3 HGVC affiliated resorts on Sanibel and Captiva. I joined HGVC the first or second year it was in existence and decided it wasn't for me so I dropped it. Are you saying that I still have a preference for trading back into Sanibel or Captiva? I have no desire to bank my weeks and trade into anything else on San/Cap but wasn't aware that there was a preference given.

We stayed on a trade at Tortuga last year and I thought it had been completely renovated after Hurricane Charlie, but it was terrible workmanship. Most of the resorts renovated were sort of botched jobs but Tortuga was the worst I had seen.

 

[wrxdoug]

June, Whether you are a paying hgvc member or not for the points does not matter you still have preference into sanibel and captiva above everyone and secondly, into hgvc resorts because hgvc is our managing agent. You are still ahead of marco island hgvcs even though they have preference into southwest florida hgvc as well. The only use for you paying hgvc membership if you were looking to use the points for something other than trading back into sanibel or southwest florida. I belong and have used the points option once in four years. Usually when I trade my sanibel resort (if I trade at all) it is through rci especially when I was trading my fixed week 40 casa ybel unit. I never owned at Tortuga only casa ybel and shell island. Shell was renovated and is fine, casa ybel is beautiful have been there since the renovation as well. What happened at Tortuga? You would think that hilton managed properties used the same contractors but perhaps the homeowners association decided on that. The managers for casa ybel and shell are the same. That is unfortuate then Marylyn who started the post above should be cautious in considering buying that hgvc affliliate and look into some of the others. Did you post a tug review about your experience at Tortuga?

 

[sandcastles]

No, I didn't post a review on Tortuga. There was nothing so bad that it interfered with our vacation. The reason we traded in there is that our South Seas resort was still not open and we needed something to go with our Hurricane House week.

I don't know for a fact, but from what I have seen and heard I think most resorts including HGVC used just about anyone they could to get rebuilt. Materials and labor were scarce. None of the resorts I have been in have been perfect, but Tortuga was the worst. I don't even remember all the problems, I do remember that the wood trim in the unit didn't line up and there were nicks, walls didn't look very good, things weren't painted well. It just looked like a cheap, hurry up job.

The unit was clean, staff was nice, I would go back again.

Has anyone at RCI ever officially said that a Hilton affiliate owner had preference trading into another Hilton affiliate (without belonging to the club)?

 

[wrxdoug]

I have had that explained to me by rci when I was researching my purchase and since I own multiple resorts and weeks and traded through rci I can tell you that I confirmed that fact myself. My sanibel week 40 at casa ybel pulled all the same available weeks in sanibel that my summer london three bedroom pulled, and my prime week 15 costa linda aruba week did not even pull some of them. So I can tell you sanibel hgvcs regardless of the week have first preference into sanibel hgvc resorts. I do not know if the same preference exists for interval but I would suspect it would. As I also mentioned above that fixed week 40 casa ybel which is a shoulder season not as desirable week pulled prime weeks in the hgvc system as I mentioned. I only sold it finally because I like to buy when and where I will go and that was my first purchase and only went one long weekend and realized I would be trading it for many years without being able to go the week I owned. I did love that resort. Doug

 

[wrxdoug]

June, The year I used hgvc for points was because I needed hawaii for a honeymoon for a family member. It worked out better to convert my sanibel weeks to points because I could reserve multiple stays in different hgvc resorts on different hawaiian islands for them rather than say one week at the bay club. It also was done 10 months before versus looking in rci a year or two before and I was able to get the exact weeks multiple islands for my points that year for them. Otherwise we mostly use rci weeks for weeks. My casa ybel week 40 was great for sanibel and hgvc resorts but not necessarily for all outside trades. Doug

 

[Steve]

HGVC owners do not have a preference when exchanging into other HGVC resorts through II. That benefit may exist in RCI, but it does not in II.

Steve

 

[wrxdoug]

I never exchanged in Interval so I wasn't sure. There is another tug member that used to exchange with Interval with her Shell Island and seemed to pull quite a few weeks back into hurricane house and shell and a few times she pulled sanibel cottages. Seemed like she had preference into sanibel island owning sanibel but maybe interval has no preferences at all it was just lucky draw for her all those postings on the sightings board with her shell island sanibel unit. I was thinking of using interval in the furture one year to compare. So there are no preferences given to locations or units within interval at all? Doug

 

[wrxdoug]

Also, hgvc built resorts can not exchange through interval only rci. Only affliliates that are dual affliliated can exchange in Interval like the sanibel resorts and I think some of the Marco Island hgvc affliliates as well. This is interesting that there are no preferences in interval at all because I also owned costa linda a fixed week 15 in aruba and can exchange through rci or interval (it is also dual affliliated like my sanibel units). I have preference back into aruba through rci and the "sister resorts" casa delmar and playa linda. I will think twice about trading through interval if I give that preference away when I trade as I know I have it with rci. Doug